Volcanic earthquakes continue to rock Taal Volcano in the past 24 hours as it continues to manifest unrest, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
In its bulletin issued Sunday, Phivolcs said its volcano network in Taal recorded 74 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours, including 46 volcanic tremor episodes having durations of one to four minutes.
The agency logged 55 volcanic earthquakes in the volcano’s vicinity in the previous past 24-hour monitoring period.
The State seismology bureau also noted that activities in Taal’s main created consisted of weak emission of steam-laden plumes from fumarolic vents that rose 10 meters high.
Significant sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission that averaged at 596 tons per day was also measured on March 13.
Moreover, ground deformation parameters indicated a very slow and steady inflation and expansion of the Taal region since after the January 2020 eruption.
“These parameters may indicate increased magmatic activity at shallow depths beneath the edifice,” the agency said.
Phivolcs reminded the public that Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 2 amid “increased unrest.”
This means that sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within the Taal Volcano Island.
State seismologists recommended that entry into volcano island, its permanent danger zone, especially the vicinities of the Main Crater and the Daang Kastila fissure, must remain strictly prohibited.
